


Home Enough

by astralcities



Category: Night In The Woods (Video Game)
Genre: (I hope so but who knows), Angst, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gen, Human AU, I promise it's fluffier than the first chapter, Mental Health Issues, Post-Canon, Slow Burn, but theyve been through a lot and we needed to get that out of the way, death mention, long fic, road trip fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-10-13 23:17:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10524006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astralcities/pseuds/astralcities
Summary: "The Grand Canyon." Gregg interrupted."Huh?""The Grand Canyon! That's... That's a place people go, right? We could do that?"





	1. The Beginning

At first, it wasn't noticeable. Just a few people, gone for the day. It was swiftly pinned down as a 24 hour bug. After three days, and still no return, people began to wonder about the flu.

After four, people started getting scared. Missing posters went up, phone calls were made, police were sent to look around, suspecting a prank, or maybe even a slew of movers, left for another town. But nothing came of it- none of the fifteen newly missing people were found. Council members, officers, regular members of the community- gone.

The second Bea came home to her eerily quiet apartment, she knew. It was a feeling in her stomach: a pit that sank down, down, down until she wanted to throw up, or scream, or cry to make it disappear. But she held on, calling his name and ransacking the house, opening every door until it was overwhelmingly obvious her father wasn't home. 

She didn't sleep that night.

When Bea fled from her house to work that morning, trying so _so_ hard to cling to some semblance of normality, Creek wasn't there. On any other day, Bea would've grumbled a bit about having to pick up the slack, but would've been secretly relieved to have a day away from the old creep. Today, she sat in the backroom and buried her head in her hands, shoulders shaking as her entire world broke down around her.

She killed her father. Or, if the cave-in hadn't, dehydration soon would. An eye for an eye, Mae for her father. 

She briefly wondered if it was worth it.

Her dad wasn't a bad guy. Creek, maybe, but not her dad. He was a man who had been broken to the point of no return, but he didn't deserve to die, not like that.

Or maybe he did. The cult killed people. Her _dad_ could've killed people for all she knew. And if he hadn't, he'd certainly stood by while others did.

This was too much. Too much to handle now, in this cramped, cluttered backroom by herself. Maybe too much to handle ever. But she couldn't live in denial, like Mae. Or excuse it like Gregg. Or, worse yet, agree with it like Angus.

So there, in the storage room of the little store, her store, -she owned it now, she supposed- Bea made the active decision to live with it.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Possum Springs was healing. Things were still pretty messed up, but after a month, they were getting better. Aunt Molly was gone. Mae's mom kept assuring her that no, no, her aunt was fine, she was probably on a vacation, or a work trip and had forgotten to tell them. Mae pretended it was the truth.

Other people were missing too- the head council member, some lesser ones, and a whole bunch of people that Mae had known. People she'd talked to, shared meals with, waved to from across the street. She couldn't go to the woods anymore. Even Germ's house was too close to That Place for her. She didn't like to think about it- preferring to shove it to some deep dark corner of her mind and forget.

So Mae went to work. She'd gotten a job at Taco Buck, which was good! True, she didn't have a car to deliver with, but she _could_ Naruto run down the street at an alarming pace, and that was good enough.

Mae balanced a bag of Mega Tacos in her arms. Struggling to pick up her ringing flip-phone, she didn't bother to check the Caller ID. "Heyyyyy."

Gregg's voice echoed through the tinny receiver. "Hey, Mae! What's up?"

"Not a lot. I was thinking about going to the park. To, y'know... get away."

Gregg's voice filled with understanding. "Oh. Yeah, I get it."

There was a beat of silence. "Can me and Angus come? We're not doing anything tonight, so I thought maybe we could all hang out before..."

The words 'before we leave for good' hung in the air. 

Mae waved the growing pain in her chest away. "Sounds good! I'll invite Bea, too."

"Nice!"

"Five okay?"

Gregg leaned away from his phone for a second, and Mae could hear muffled shouting. "Yeah, that works!"

"See you then."

"Bye, dude!"

Gregg hung up with a faint click. Two down, one to go. Mae dialed Bea's number, impatiently waiting for her to pick up.

"Hello?" Bea answered.

"Hey, Bea! You free tonight?"

"Are you asking-" Bea's low voice held an element of shock.

"Gregg, Angus and I are going to the park, you wanna come?"

"Oh. Sure, okay."

"Five work for you?"

"Yep. Bye." 

"See y-" _click_.

Well. That was hasty. Now, Mae had to deliver some tacos.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Bea liked spending as little time as possible at her empty house, which was why she was thrilled at Mae's offer of the park. 

Even if she was expecting something else. 

No, no, she was just tired! Long day at work. As always.

Possum Springs didn't really have a park, per say. It had a tiny little plot of land with a fountain that only worked half the time, and a run down swing set. But she'd go anyway.

When she arrived, Mae was already swinging as high as she possibly could, seemingly on an endless quest to swing completely around the bar. Gregg was beside her, shifting from side to side in his swing in an attempt to shove her off.

She sat down next to Angus. "Hey."

"Hey."

It was good. A conversation with Angus wasn't exactly talkative, but it was peaceful, and fufilling for both of them. Quiet, but nice. Just like Angus.

They sat together, the sun oddly warm for November, watching Gregg and Mae grow increasingly rowdy in their efforts to dethrone the other. A slight breeze ruffled the remaining leaves on the trees.

Mae let out a shout, and hopped to the ground, Gregg crowing wildly in the background. She dusted her shirt off indignantly, before eying her friends oddly. There was something different about her, Bea noticed. She looked less... free. Her usually bright eyes had a hint of something else behind them. Something tired, and broken. It scared Bea that this was usual, now.

Mae motioned for Gregg to join them, and looked critically at the scenery around them before smiling widely.

"I've been thinking."

Angus sighed.

"Hey!" Mae chortled. "That's not fair!"

"Go on." Bea drawled.

"I have a plan." 

"For?"

"Well..." Mae paused for dramatic effect, obviously relishing in their anticipation. Bea sort of wanted to kick her in the kneecap.

"We should go on a road trip!" Mae looked around at them, gauging their reactions.

Bea started coughing loudly, hacking shocked breaths escaping from her lungs. 

Gregg shot to his feet. "Yeah! We totally should!" 

Mae slung an arm around her best friend, grinning devilishly at Angus and Bea.

Angus seemed to be contemplating the option. He took a deep breath. 

"No."

Bea, still in shock, noticed the remarkable similarity between the downcast expressions on the two daredevil's faces.

Gregg pouted, and Mae made her eyes as wide and innocent as possible. Angus wasn't fazed.

"We can't just stop now, Bug. Not when we're this close."

Gregg adjusted his leather jacket slightly. "These are our friends! And, hell, soon we're not gonna even see them anymore!" Gregg pleaded with his boyfriend, who looked away.

"The Plan can be put on hold for what-" Gregg looked inquisitively at Mae. "-three days? Four?"

"Dunno. I didn't actually think I'd get this far." Mae said sheepishly.

Angus pinched the bridge of his nose. "Where would we even go?"

"We can work out the details later!"

"...This is ridiculous."

"I'm ridiculous!" Gregg chimed in. Bea felt inclined to agree.

Resolve cracking, Angus furrowed his brow. "We have work."

"We'll leave Friday, and call in sick on Monday."

"The four of us? On the same day? In a small town?"

"Yeah, if anyone asks we'll say we all caught the travel bug!" Gregg's excitement was gaining momentum, and it was obvious Angus wasn't going to hold up under the blond's relentless assault of sweetness. 

Angus turned to Bea, sending a silent plea for backup. Bea threw her hands up in a "what can you do" gesture, smiling slightly.

He groaned, resting his head in his hands. "Bea, please..."

Thanks, Angus. The decision was in _her_ hands now. Greeaaat.

Mae seemed to sense this too, as she quickly switched her attention to Bea, giving her her best angelic smile.

Bea said nothing.

Mae continued to flutter her eyelashes.

Bea, again, said nothing. She wasn't going to lose.

Apparently, neither was Mae, as she detached herself from Gregg to sidle up next to her friend.

Bea raised a single eyebrow, a talent she possessed that made Mae insanely incensed. 

Mae winked.

Sighing heavily, Bea pursed her lips. "We'll use my car."

Mae shot up with a gasp, pulling the four of them into a hug. "Oh my God Oh my God _Oh my God_ , we're gonna do this!"

Mae pulled back, looking critically at Angus. "We _are_ doing this, right?"

"I guess."

"Yay!" Mae cheered, burying her face in Angus's scarf.

Bea didn't miss the glare Angus threw at her over Mae's shoulder. Serves him right. If he didn't want this outcome, he shouldn't have handed it over to Bea.

"So," Mae spouted happily, seemingly vibrating with energy, "where are we gonna go? Cuz', I've actually got nothing, and-"

"The Grand Canyon." Gregg interrupted.

"Huh?"

"The Grand Canyon! That's... That's a place people go, right? We could do that?" 

"Yeah..." Mae said, pausing to think for a second. "Yeah, you're right! Bea, Angus, what do you think?"

Angus pursed his lips, clearly still unhappy that this was happening. "It's a long way."

"More places to go in between!"

Bea had to see the logic in that. And, well, it'd be nice to see such an iconic part of America. Even if the whole country was on an economic slide due to power-hungry officials and underhanded corrupt dealings. Wait, no! Focus, Bea. "How long would this take?" She asked skeptically.

Gregg quickly whipped out his phone, fingers tapping across the screen at a lightening pace. "Well, if we..." He shook his head slightly, blonde strands of hair sweeping to the other side of his forehead. "No, no... If we hit Vegas, which we definitely are, then..." Gregg typed a few more things onto his screen, before dropping his phone into the pocket of his leather jacket.

"Accounting for driving, snack breaks, stops, sleeping, and at least one random accident, I'd say four days? Roughly?"

Bea nodded. "We could leave on Friday after work, do stops and stuff on Saturday and Sunday, arrive at the canyon on Monday, then get home sometime Tuesday."

Bea tilted her head and looked at Angus, almost in disbelief that she was siding with Gregg. "We... could actually do this. It's not as ludicrous as it sounds."

She stopped short, looking at Mae with concern. "Mae, I didn't you could leave home because of your.... issue?"

Mae, to her credit, didn't lose enthusiasm, only smiled warmly at her friend. She reached out, and laid a hand on Bea's shoulder. "You guys are home enough."

For some reason, Bea's heart began beating very rapidly.

Looking as if he'd just been drafted into battle, Angus merely sighed heavily. "Okay, fine! Fine. We'll pack tonight."

Mae's eyes were alight with joy. "I'll grab some snacks."

They needed this, Bea thought. They all needed to escape from this town, even if just for a little bit. Mae most of all.

Besides, the less time she had to spend in that damn house the better.

Mae and Gregg spun each other around again. Bea watched thoughtfully. "Tomorrow, right after everyone's done working, you grab your stuff and meet me at the Pickaxe. I'll pick everyone up from there, and we can head out, I guess."

Mae waved happily, looking more alive than Bea had seen her in weeks. "I'll see you then!" Gregg ferociously bobbed his head up and down in agreement, and Angus hummed in affirmation.

"I'll see you then." Bea whispered.

Looking at the crumbling, worn out town around her, Bea watched as her friends left the 'park'. 

Maybe it really was time to get out of this town.


	2. A Friend In Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok im sorry but this is filler as all hell. nothing actually happens in this chapter its just lots of fluff and gayness

Gregg was speeding through their cluttered apartment, neatly sidestepping his various unfinished projects that laid forgotten on the carpet. The tiny blond was bouncing with excitement, shoving items messily into a suitcase, and generally pestering the hell out of Angus. But that was okay. He loved him anyways. If anything, his boyfriend's eagerness was far more endearing than annoying. Angus didn't think packing the four of them in a car for multiple days was anywhere near a good idea, but it was obviously important to Gregg, so he tried to put on a happy face and bear it.

"Hey, Angus? Do you think Bea has outlets in her car? Cuz', I was thinking about taking the Xbox, and-"

Angus laughed softly. "I doubt it."

Gregg snapped his fingers. "Damn."

"Did you get all your clothes?"

"Yeah! I grabbed your glasses case, too, it's in the right pocket." God, he was adorable.

"I'll grab our toothbrushes." Angus slid his laptop into his bag, neatly tucking the charger alongside it.

"So! We've got everything else?"

"Yup."

"I'll call Bea and give her a heads up that we're leaving!"

"You do that, Bug." 

Gregg responded with a flirtatious wink as he dashed off to the kitchen- the only place in their whole damn house where they could get cell reception. As Angus began stacking their hygiene products into a bag, he was suddenly reminded of how glad he was to have a chance to leave this derelict town. He was even luckier to be doing it with the person he loved most in the world.

He knew he was being slightly ridiculous, but as he thought about Gregg's unstable position at the Snack Falcon, he became increasingly worried that skipping work for a few days might be the final straw for Christine. If Gregg was fired, their whole plan would be down the drain, and they'd have no way of making it to Bright Harbor.

Angus could only hope Mae's silly whim wouldn't ruin what little he had.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Mae was buzzing with excitement, swinging her duffle bag around her legs. Bea shot another glance at her watch before the doors to The Pickaxe burst open, revealing Gregg, disheveled and dragging two black suitcases behind him, one bulging oddly, and Angus, looking worn out and toting a laptop bag.

Mae beamed. "Hey, guys! Ready?"

Bea tossed her keys in the air, expertly catching them in her left hand. Outside, her truck beeped loudly. "Alright. Let's get on the road."

The four loaded their luggage into the bed of the truck, Bea securing a tarp over top. "Alright, if you want something for the car, grab it now. I'm driving." 

Gregg and Mae piled into the backseat, Gregg kicking his feet up onto the leather armrest of the car. Bea shot him a nasty look, but he didn't flinch.

Angus sighed. They had a _long_ road ahead.

0-0-0-0-0-0

 

"Draw two." Mae threw a card down onto the pile.

"What the hell, Mae? You can't put a draw two down on a draw four!" Gregg yelled.

Mae grinned devilishly. "Just did."

Gregg threw his head back in exasperation, muttering to himself as he reshuffled the Uno cards for their 9th game. They had been driving for nearly an hour and a half now, Bea and Angus switching out positions every so often. It turns out Uno gets a little frustrating after your opponent wins through _cheating_ every round. They were barely out past Bright Harbor, and Gregg had elatedly stared out the window at the city for the entire duration of their passing. It was gorgeous, and even better now that he was on his way to living there. 

"Hey, Bea?" Mae asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do we have a plan? Like, about where we're going?"

"Well, we're definitely going to Vegas. Chicago, too. And I guess we'll hit whatever tourist-traps we want to see along the way."

Mae leaned back, satisfied. "Skip your turn, Gregg."

"Not if I skip you back!"

"Then you can draw four! And the color's red, now."

Gregg swore under his breath and started collecting his cards.

Mae nudged the back of Bea's chair with her foot. "This music _sucks_."

Bea let out a disgruntled sigh, barely restraining herself from snapping back. "You don't like country music?"

"Nope."

"Then plug in your phone. There's probably an aux cord somewhere up here."

"I have a flip-phone, Bea."

"Angus?"

"Wireless Android. Not like we'd get a signal out here anyways."

Mae's kicking intensified. "Can't you iust change channels?"

"To what, Sports Radio?" Bea deadpanned.

Bea flicked a switch on the console, and the music abruptly came to a standstill. Mae went quiet, and the only sound was the faint sweeping of cards brushing past each other. Tension hung like fog in the cramped space. 

Gravel popped and ground beneath her tires as Bea turned into the parking lot of a dimly lit gas-station. She slowed the car to a halt before clicking open her door. "We all need to stretch out for a minute."

"Agreed!" Gregg said, hopping out of the car. 

Mae ruffled through her pockets for her wallet. "I'm getting snacks."

Bea threw a few bucks at her. "Go ahead and get us dinner too. I'd rather not stop again for awhile."

"Aye-aye!"

Bea rolled her eyes fondly and began busying herself with refilling the gas in the car. 

Angus shut his car door none too softly. "I'm going to the bathroom."

Gregg and Mae walked into the station, and Mae began browsing the aisles of sugary, preservative packed snacks that would probably induce a heart-attack in any nutritionist. Fortunately, she didn't care, and began stuffing her arms with Hostess Cupcakes and slices of semi-hit wrapped pizza that looked closer to cardboard than the gooey heaven she was used to. Oh well. You couldn't really have bad pizza. You could have _mediocre_ pizza, sure, but bad? Nah, that didn't happen.

Out of the corner of her eye, a brightly colored CD caught her attention. 5.99? Hell yeah! Considering that the only channels Bea could get were country, sports, and pop music autotuned to all hell, blowing a few bucks on this was definitely worth it.

"Mae!" Gregg called out from down the aisle.

She walked over, her arms struggling to hold all of their food, and her newly acquired CD. "Yeah?"

"We should get chips!"

"Yeah, okay. What do you want?"

Gregg meandered through the aisle, pulling a bag off at random. "These?"

"Ew, gross, man!" Mae laughed.

"Doritos are _good_!"

"Nah, Pringles are definitely the way to go, dude."

Gregg swept his hand daintily across his forehead in mock horror. "How _dare_ you?!"

Mae's eye went large, and she shakily pointed at something off to Gregg's left. Gregg dropped his playful expression, turning around with concern. "You okay, du-"

Mae quickly snatched the chips from Gregg's arms. "Gotcha!" She sprinted down the aisle, her shoes squeaking irritatingly on the linoleum tile. Various processed treats tumbled from her arms as she ran, Gregg hot on her trail, cackling wildly, much to the displeasure of the employee on duty.

Out of breath now, Mae leaned up against a row of various granola bars as Gregg attempted to steal back his prize. At the same time, Angus exited the bathroom, stopping short as he saw his boyfriend scuffling with Mae. The two were looping around each other in an attempt to grab away - or in Mae's case, defend- a now crumpled bag of chips.

"Guys." Angus murmured.

They paid him no heed, Mae ducking quickly under Gregg's arm and popping up behind him.

"Guys." Angus said, his voice raising to his normal tone. He shot a quick glance at the girl at the counter, who was pointedly paying no attention to the 20-somethings acting like they were five.

Suddenly, Gregg managed to get a good hold on the bag, yanking it away from his friend. Grinning triumphantly, he held it as high up as he could, dangling it above Mae's head. She playfully lunged at him, and Gregg backed up, noticing only a fraction of a second too late that he'd hit into the wall of products behind him rather hard. The light metal shelf teetered precariously for a second, and Mae and Gregg, frozen into place, could only watch in horror as it began to lean backwards on a sure descent to the floor. Angus stood rooted to the spot, time seemingly going slower, completely unable to think, or formulate any thoughts as his heart rate sped into overdrive. 

The only clumsy, sluggish thought he could manage was, "Oh no." and that wasn't much help at all. A single jar of jellybeans fell to the floor, shattering with a crash, hundreds of tiny candies spilling out onto the floor.

That broke the spell. " _Guys_!" He yelled, instants before the shelf came crashing to the floor with bang, all of its contents splattering, rolling, or dropping to the hard flooring. Angus ran to them as Gregg quickly scooped up a few cupcakes wrapped in plastic covering from the ground, snatching Mae's hand and pulling the shocked girl forward. 

Mae fumbled with a wad of cash, shoving twenty or thirty dollars towards the dumbfounded cashier haphazardly. "Oh my God, _Oh my God_ I'm sososososorrypleasetakethis/gottago/, bye!" She rambled, spewing words apologetically as she raced out the smudged glass doors, the store's theft alarm blaring into the cold air outside.

Bea was leaning against the side of the truck, her lit cigarette providing a tiny cloud of smoke. Her eyes widened dramatically as she saw her three friends looking at her with absolute terror,: Gregg carrying an abundance of cakes, Mae's black hair mussed up and flying around her head, and Angus looking back at the store with fear.

"What the _hell_ -"

"Drive, Bea!" Mae screamed, wildly pushing her way into the back. Bea would've questioned her, but Gregg had already scrambled into the driver's seat and was turning the key, the engine revving loudly. Angus quickly filed in, almost shoving Bea into the passenger's seat. She looked at them like they'd all grown a third head, but no one seemed to care. Gregg sharply pulled out of the mostly empty parking lot, going far above the speed limit as he bolted from the scene, wheels screaming against the road.

They were all breathing exceptionally heavy, Bea noticed, and Angus looked like he'd just witnessed a murder. Bea looked back at the store, where a stunned cashier was standing uneasily at its entrance. For all she knew, he damn well might have.

Mae was cradling an arm full of cupcakes, looking sadly at their smushed icing. 

Bea took a deep breath, willing herself not to freak out. "Can someone _please_ explain what just happened?"

"Well," Gregg said, surprisingly calm for someone who had just set off a decent amount of alarms, "we may _sort of_ be on the run from the law."

"What?!"

Angus rubbed his forehead. "They vandalized a gas station."

"On accident!" Mae protested.

"Yes, they _accidentally_ chased each other around the store, and knocked over an entire aisle worth of food. Not sure how much of it survived."

"Oh God. Did the place have security cameras on?" Bea asked, aghast.

"I doubt it. Just us in there."

"Oh, thank God."

Mae smiled guiltily. "I still got pizza?"

Bea kept her eyes on the road, but accepted the plastic wrapped pizza slice Mae handed to her. Mae gently set an unwrapped cupcake on the armrest. Bea couldn't help but smile as she noticed that it was clearly the least damaged one of the bunch.

"Are you sure you can do this?" She criticized.

He frowned. "Just because I don't have a car doesn't mean I can't drive."

Silence hung in the air.

"So..." Mae said awkwardly.

She fiddled with the CD on her lap. "I got music?"

Bea hummed thoughtfully. "Hand it to me, I'll put it in." She reached back expectantly.

Mae shrank back. "No! I gotta do it myself. It's a surprise."

"Ah. Okay. Sure, go ahead." It was too damn late for this. Might as well humor her, Bea supposed.

Mae secretively opened the CD case, leaning over the middle console and sliding it into the slot.

A familiar strain of music began to reverberate throughout the car as Bea's old speakers hummed to life.

_You've got a friend in me._  
_Yeah, you've got a friend in me._

"Oh my God, Mae-" Bea laughed. Both Gregg and Mae quickly shushed her.

_When the road looks rough ahead, and you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed_

Gregg started singing, his high voice completely off key. "You just remember what your old pal said~"

Mae chimed in happily, the two harmonizing loudly. "Oh, you've got a friend in me!"

Mae collapsed into hysterics, and Bea was chuckling softly, hiding her face in her hands.

"It's the official Disney-Pixar song playlist!" Mae yelled, tossing her hands in the air exuberantly. The only one not laughing was Angus, who just looked.... confused.

Mae latched on to his arm, still giggling. "C'mon, Angus! Sing with us!"

He frowned. "I don't know the words."

Mae gasped. "How?!"

"I don't think I've ever seen the movie."

Mae's jaw dropped. "You've never seen _Toy Story_?"

Angus shook his head, wanting desperately to disappear into the floor. 

Mae nodded resolutely. "Well, we're watching it. When we stop at the hotel tonight, I'm gonna rent Toy Story, and we're gonna watch it."

Angus nodded, whatever he could do to make Mae stop alienating him. He had to admit, though, it was nice to feel included. For all her eccentricities, Mae definitely wasn't a bad person. Blunt, and irresponsible, but not bad.

As the final notes of the song faded out, new ones blared through. Mae gasped, her eyes lighting up.

_I can show you the world,_

"SHINING, SHIMMERING, SPLENNNNDID!"

Mae held out her hand with an elegant swoop, smiling at Bea delightedly.

"Tell me, Princess, now when did you last let your heaaart deciiiide?"

Gregg and Mae crowed loudly. "A WHOOOOLE NEW WORLD!"

Bea's husky voice entered the mix, not noticing that they went silent when she sang. "A dazzling place I never knew~"

_But when I'm way up here,_

Mae beamed brightly, leaning towards Bea. "It's crystal clear!"

Gregg was silent, keeping his focus on the road, though he hummed along to the music. Bea's low voice, though scratchy and rusty, harmonized with Mae's energetic one.

"That now I'm in a whole new world, with you..."

Listening to Bea sing, Mae was absolutely positive she'd just heard the most amazing thing in the world. 

Bea smiled to herself, letting Mae and Gregg carry on the rest of the song. She murmured to herself, feeling the car jolt beneath her as Gregg passed over a bump. 

First stop, Chicago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooo, so that was chapter two! Hope u guys liked it. 
> 
> I don't exactly have a set plan for this story, so if there's a suggestion you have, go right ahead!! 
> 
> I also have a hard time characterizing Angus, which is why he doesn't talk as much. Sorry about that.
> 
> Chapter three will send them to their first destination, Chicago! (which is where the Plot™ is gonna start, but dw, this is a HAPPY fic. mainly. whoops.)
> 
> Thanks to my beta, @rainbow-flavoured on Tumblr! Also thanks to Anonymous, who pointed out that _Mae_ is actually older than Bea! The sentence in the first chapter suggesting otherwise has been edited.
> 
> As always, I appreciate your support! You guys are the reason I go through with this ❤️.
> 
> See ya!


	3. Liminal Spaces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT:
> 
> In this chapter a character experiences a mild panic attack. It's nothing too graphic, but if that is a trigger to you, I would adivise skipping from _"They loaded in, Gregg eagerly illuminating the button for the second floor."_ , to the next 0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Gregg drummed his fingers on the wheel, humming to himself as he waited for the light to change. Since the Gas Station Fiasco, they'd been driving for roughly three hours. The highways were full of traffic, which meant they were full of stopping and starting. Bea had already gotten out to smoke more than once, cursing traffic blocks loudly as she came back inside. The light was fading, and the Indiana sky was a burst of vivid colors, the setting sun turning the blue to a rainbow of orange, red, and pink, casting gold on everything it touched. 

Possum Springs didn't even come close.

Since they were out of good ol' rural America, Angus could actually get signal on his phone, which meant he was all cuddly in the backseat with Netflix. 

Well, _good for him_ , Gregg snarked to himself, peeved that he was still driving. The three of them had been rotating positions- Mae was left out, as she didn't have a license, and in Bea's words, there was 'no way in Hell Mae is ever permitted to have that much responsibility'. 

The shorter girl had seemed rather hurt, but Gregg was pretty sure Bea was just concerned for her truck. Not that he himself was much of a step up in the responsibility ladder.

He never really interacted with Bea all that much. After all, he'd only really known her through Mae, and, even then, until she replaced Casey in the band-

 _No._ Gregg tightened his grip on the wheel, jerking it sharply to the right. She didn't replace Casey. She only took his position as drummer.

Gregg shoved those thoughts to the side, and cranked up 'Under The Sea' for the thousandth time.

Even though the two never hung out, looking at the girl staring wistfully out the window, he could safely call her a friend. He'd gained an entirely new respect for her after what happened down in the mines. She'd put her life on the line for Mae, fighting off the cult like that, and anyone who cared that much about his best friend was good in his book.

Besides, if Bea wasn't straight, Gregg would _definitely_ wager that-

Mae tapped Angus on the shoulder. "Hey, Angus. Aaaangusss."

Gregg's boyfriend took off his ear buds, placing them neatly in his lap. "...Yes?"

"What are you watching?"

Angus paused the video. "How It's Made."

Mae unclipped her seat belt, and slid over to Angus's side of the car. "Can I watch?" 

A smile tugged slightly at the edge of Angus's lips. "Only if you put your seatbelt back on."

Grumbling, Mae slid the seatbelt closest to Angus over her head, accepting the proffered ear bud.

From the passenger seat, Bea called back to them. "Why don't you put on something we _all_ can hear?" Gregg silently agreed. Disney music, no matter how undeniably good it was, was starting to grate on his nerves after four hours.

Angus scrunched up his eyebrows. "Like what?"

Exasperated, Bea rested her head against the cool glass window, rolling it down slightly. A calm breeze gently blew through the truck, although it was accompanied by the noises of honking cars and squealing tires. "I don't know. Something other than this."

Gregg grinned, a smug smile spreading over his face. "All Angus listens to is emo music."

His boyfriend's only reaction was a small flush of color springing up on his brown cheeks.

"Well," Angus said, tapping a finger to his chin, "Gregg listens to dubstep."

Gregg immediately froze in place, much to the amusement of Mae, who was cackling in the background. 

"Yeah, whatever! Watch your damn Netflix show!" Gregg spluttered.

A small, slightly triumphant smile settled on Angus's face as he angled the phone for Mae to see.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The night sky was a deep blue expanse above them, stars glittering faintly as if embroidered with silver thread into the canvas of the night. The brightly glowing windows against the blue reminded Bea distinctly of-

"Fireflies." Mae murmured, half-asleep on Angus's shoulder. 

Bea smiled gently at her friend. "Yeah. That's what I thought, too."

The four rode in silence, Gregg tapping away at his phone in the passenger's seat, Angus listening to music, Mae curled up into a ball, her eyes only barely open, and Bea, driving. Moonlight cascaded through the car windows, illuminating Mae's face and head in a silver light. 

Suddenly, in the quiet space, Bea felt incredibly lonely. 

She turned to Angus, who saw her gaze and quickly removed his headphones. "I think Chicago will have to wait until morning." She remarked dryly. 

A flicker of disappointed crossed Angus's brown eyes. "So we stop at a hotel?"

"I guess so."

Angus looked longingly out the window. "We're only a half-hour away..."

"Unless you want to hit up a nightclub, there's not much we can do."

He sighed, returning to his music. Bea pushed the car a bit further against the traffic. They continued in silence, and Bea was thrilled when they pulled into the driveway of a rundown little motel at the edge of Merrillville, just outside of Chicago. Unlike most things in the quiet town, the neon 'Open' sign blinked fuzzily, and Bea felt as if the whole ordeal wasn't quite real.

Bea slowed the car, the purring motor coming to a stop. She turned to look at Mae, whose black hair was ruffled messily across her face, still awash in the pocket of moonlight as she slept against Angus. "Is she...?" 

Angus nodded. "Completely out."

Bea began to move over, the door popping open with a shove from her hip.

"No, no, it's fine. I've got her." Angus gently slid an arm under Mae's back, lifting her up like a doll. Mae didn't seem to notice.

"Angus, she can walk-"

He laughed, his voice a deep baritone. "It's fine. She'd throw a fit if we woke her up now."

Bea yanked her keys out with a huff, chin held high as she led the four into the dingy motel. 

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Angus guiltily ignored the employee's 'you've got to be kidding me' look as they entered. 

Calm down, Angus. You're not doing anything wrong. Just... cradling a passed out girl, and asking for a hotel key at 10:23 p.m.

On that subject, Angus felt he was slightly indebted to Mae. She'd made mistakes in the past, and caused fights between himself and Gregg, but she was really making an effort this trip. All she wanted was for her friends to be happy, and Angus couldn't think of a better goal. She'd even tried very hard to include him, and if Angus could pay her back, even in this childish, tiny way, he'd do it. Sure, he still had his doubts about the wiseness of trekking across the United States, but he was willing to give it a shot. For Gregg, and for her.

He didn't know why Bea was getting so huffy over it, though. 

The employee stared pointedly between him, and the girl in his arms, her eyes looking uncertainly for an answer.

"She's only asleep." Great, Angus. Way to sound like a serial killer. 

The woman, obviously too tired and underpaid to deal with this, rubbed her eyes. "Hi, welcome to Econo Lodge, what can I get for you?"

"A double room please. Four people."

"That's thirty-five dollars."

Bea turned to Gregg, nodding in approval. "So _that's_ why you insisted we stay here."

Gregg grinned, spreading his hands. "What can I say? I'm an economist."

Bea opened her wallet, and Angus shifted Mae slightly so he could grab his. Bea counted out the bills, and pushed them to the concierge. "I've got it. My treat."

Gregg shook his head adamantly, and the woman paused, wavering over the money. "No, seriously-"

"Yeah. Save up for your wedding, or whatever." Bea took the key, thanking the employee.

"D'awww." Gregg simpered.

"Stairs or elevator?"

Angus gave Bea a deadpan stare. 

"Right. Elevator."

They loaded in, Gregg eagerly illuminating the button for the second floor. 

Unfortunately, Mae chose that moment to wake up. She stretched, stiffening as the elevator shuddered beneath her. Bea saw the warning signs a split second before they occurred, but was powerless to stop them. Her eyes widened, pure terror filling them as she clutched onto Angus's shirt so tensely that her knuckles turned white. 

Gregg immediately dashed to his best friend's side, prying her hands off his boyfriend's shirt, and encasing them in his. "Hey, yo, it's okay! We're fine! We're at a hotel right now." He reassured her. His voice wavered when she didn't respond at all.

Mae still looked deathly afraid, and something clicked for Bea.

Waking up disoriented, being carried by Angus, and stuck in a creaky elevator all would undoubtedly add up to one thing in Mae's head: The Mines.

Bea quickly moved over to Mae, her dark eyes meeting Mae's light ones. "We're here. Indiana. We're not back there, Mae. It's just us. Only us."

The elevator came to a halt, its doors snapping open with an ill-placed ding. Angus moved out of the elevator as quickly as possible.

Mae looked at him, her eyes losing some of their terrifying, animalistic quality. "I... You can put me down, now." Angus obliged.

She stood, teetering, but more stable. "I'm okay." She gave them a weak smile. "Haha, that was kinda stupid, wasn't-"

"No," Gregg interrupted, an uncharacteristic solemnity in his voice, "It's not at all."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The four entered their room, Mae launching herself at one of the beds, its springs squeaking beneath her. For $35, Mae had to say it was pretty decent. The fading and chipped yellow walls didn't detract too much, nor did the garish, scratchy orange sheets, and lack of amenities. Gregg already had begun his plans to steal the mini toiletries, but Angus looked troubled. 

Mae frowned. "You okay?"

"There's only two."

"Huh?" Mae looked in the direction Angus was pointing, bewildered.

Two beds. Each a decent size, but there were still only two. One for Gregg and Angus, and that left...

One for herself and Bea.

Mae heaved a sigh, the bed creaking as she stood up. "I'll sleep in the bathtub."

Bea rolled her eyes. "No, you're not."

Bea paced around the room, throwing down her duffle bag in agitation. "I _specifically said_ four people! They didn't even give us an extra cot!"

"At least there's a TV?" Gregg offered, his pockets full of mini soaps. 

Bea glared at him, and resumed her pacing.

"It's not a big deal, Bea. I can  
make a bed. We've got blankets, a couple extra pillows-"

"No, Mae."

"Okay, I'll use the chair then, either one-"

"You can have the bed. I'll call the front desk and ask for a rollaway bed."

Gregg spoke up, dangling a shiny brochure between his fingers. "Uh, unless you wanna pay another twenty bucks, then we're out of luck."

Bea rubbed her face, and began unpacking. "Then I guess we're sharing a bed, Mae."

Mae felt her heart freeze. "Uh-"

"We did it when we were kids. Not much of a difference now, right?"

"Yeah. Right." Mae hoped to any and all of the gods that no one was noticing the flush that was creeping up her neck. 

Bea gathered up a bundle of clothes, holding them against her chest, departing into the slightly grimy hotel bathroom to shower. 

"Well, I'm gonna go get changed!" Mae said hurriedly, snatching her clothes messily from her bag in a flurry. She sprinted to the only private place in their room- a small, musty little closet with a few stray hangers. 

How ironic.

Mae shoved her head into her hands, her choppy dark hair falling over her eyes. She did _not_ have feelings for Bea. She didn't! And, if she did, (which she absolutely positively did not!) Bea definitely didn't reciprocate. Bea was exclusively attracted to males, and Mae was... not exactly fantastic date material. At all. Unless your ideal girlfriend was a clumsy college dropout with mental health issues and a tendency to attack things. 

But still. The way her eyes brightened when she laughed, and how her dark curls swept across her brow-

_No._

And yet, a tiny fragment of her brain still called out in protest. _But what if?_ it asked.

Mae slumped in the dark space. 

A sharp rap echoed on the wood doors, and Gregg's high voice dug a wedge into her silence. "Hey, you okay in there? If you don't come out soon, you're gonna miss the end of 'Cutthroat Kitchen'. And, seriously, this guy has to make cordon bleu with _blue cookies_! It's some crazy shit, man."

Mae lauhed, stopping Gregg's rambling. "Nice, dude. I'll be out in a minute."

Mae waited to hear Gregg's footsteps, but he didn't leave. 

"Did you, like, forget to bring pants or something? Cuz', I can grab you a pair if you need-"

Mae cut Gregg off. "No! I'm fine. Just taking a while."

"Yeah, okay, whatever, dude. Come out when you're ready."

Mae hastily slid on her pajamas, which consisted of a t-shirt and shorts, tossing her dirty clothes onto the closet floor. 

"Welcome back to the world of the living!" Gregg called out sarcastically. He and Angus were laying together, Gregg cuddled up to his boyfriend's side, his head laying comfortably on his chest, moving up and down slightly with every breath. 

Mae threw herself at the bed, burrowing under the soft linen. Hotels were such surreal places. So many people had, and would come and go, and not a single one left any indication that they had once been here. Mae nudged further into the covers.

At that moment, the bathroom door creaked open, and Bea emerged, toweling off her damp hair. Her dark brown skin had a warm glow to it, and her usually scrunched up black curls hung loosely across her shoulders. She draped the towel over a hook, sitting down next to Mae on the bed.

"Gregg, can I have the remote?"

"Nah, dude! I gotta finish my episode!"

Bea snorted, and slid underneath the covers, folding them neatly at the edges. Mae was painfully aware of how close they were.

Yeah. Sleeping in the same bed. Totally platonic. Absolutely-positively, despite the protests her stupid, stupid head was making.

Applause echoed through the grainy speakers as the winner was given their earnings, and Gregg tossed the remote to Bea. 

"What are you gonna watch?"

"House Of Cards."

Mae's jaw dropped. " _Seriously_?"

"I like this kind of stuff."

"Isn't it about, like, politics and shit?"

"Pretty much. It's supposed to exhibit how corrupt the government is, and how big money and businesses own today's media, and use unsavory tactics to reach their-"

Gregg groaned loudly from across the room, causing Bea to toss a pillow in his general direction.

Mae hummed to herself, noticing that Bea's hair smelled vaguely of vanilla and something citrus-y. It was nice, being away from home. Nothing was quite real out here. Every unexpected change was a cause for excitement rather than a setback, every fork in the path a new opportunity. With the four of them together in this brand new adventure, Mae could almost pretend it would last forever.

The lamp clicked off beside her, and Bea powered down the T.V. The bed jolted Mae felt Bea shift over, turning toward the wall. Mae could just barely hear Gregg and Angus murmuring to each other as she sank into her pillow.

"Night, Cap'n." Gregg said, hugging Angus. 

Angus curled up around his boyfriend. "Goodnight, Bug."

Mae spoke up drowsily, her voice barely above a whisper. "See ya tomorrow, Bea-Bea."

There was a beat of prolonged silence, and the only Mae could hear was Bea's steady breathing in the quiet room.

"Until then, Maeday."

And so they slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyways lmao u can rip that cliché from my cold dead hands 
> 
> next time we're getting into our first stop! i did some planning and found out that they'd arrive at chicago late at night, so they'll be headed there first thing next chapter. im sorry this took so long! i'll try to update quicker from now on.
> 
> also to clarify, the reason bea is upset is bc she's jealous lol
> 
> also thanks to @rainbow-flavoured for beta-ing this! Thanks as well to @Fuzzinator23, who has been helping with my other writing, as well as looking this over! 
> 
> AND ONE BIG THING I FORGOT TO MENTION yeah this story is human au if u didnt catch on lmao im sorry for being a mess and forgetting to tag it
> 
> the "fireflies" bit is not only a reference to the scene, but also to [ my other NITW fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10452516). it's short and v fluffy. if u like this u'll definitely like that too!!
> 
> so, I'll see ya next chapter! dont forget to leave a comment if ur up to it, they always make me happy!


	4. Crumbling Pavement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, sorry this took so long!!! it's extra lengthy to make up for it
> 
> also u might wanna read the end notes today!! they're (sorta) important for once!!

Sunlight filtered through the window, and Mae woke up to screaming.

The bathroom door was rattling loudly, footsteps pounding across the plastic linoleum, accompanied every few seconds by an ear-splitting shriek. In her drowsy state, Mae could only vaguely distinguish the jumble of words from the noise of the pouring shower.

"Ah, shi... Damn it! I... Who... Why would you even..."

Gregg burst from the bathroom, damp shirt thrown over his head, and a towel wrapped hastily around his waist. Water dripped steadily off him, and his blond hair stood up in wildly different directions, still drenched in shampoo.

"Who the _hell_ screwed with the shower?!" He blurted, the water in the room still running.

Mae didn't miss the tiny smirk playing at the corner of Bea's mouth. 

"Something happen?" Bea asked, bemusement overlaying any hint of concern in her voice.

Holding up his hand, the soaked blond began rapidly ticking off the reasons he was standing in a puddle as the shower continued to run behind him. "Firstly, the water is ice cold. Seriously?!" He looked pointedly at Bea, whose calm expression didn't waver. "I mean, how much hot water do you need to brush your damn teeth?!"

Gregg ground his teeth. "Secondly, it's _not shutting off_!"

Sliding a few items back into his suitcase, Angus looked at his anxious boyfriend with an expression somewhere between pity and the dull exhaustion of someone who has been subjected to similar outbursts on multiple prior occasions. 

Gregg held up a final finger. "Thirdly, the shower door sticks! It _sticks_ You know what that means?"

Mae shook her head in mute intrigue, silently wishing she could drift back into the world of dreams. 

"No," Bea said, with an air of mild interest, "But I'm sure you'll tell us."

Entire body trembling, Gregg frowned, a crease forming on his normally unlined brow. "I was stuck in there, with freezing water, for like, five minutes!"

Pursing her lips to prevent herself from outwardly showing just how much this entertained her, Bea's shoulders shook from the effort of penning up her laughter. "The absolute _horror_."

Gregg turned on his heel with an indignant yell and re-entered the bathroom, making sure the door slammed with a bang behind him.

Angus unplugged his laptop from the wall. "He's mad that he had to get up at 6:30."

Mae flopped over to the nightstand, groaning as she saw '7:10' blinking on the screen of the cheap plastic clock. Great. She'd made them wait for her. 

Dragging a brush through the tangles of her curls, Bea looked over at Mae, who was sprawled completely across the bed, covers and sheets crumpled around her as if in a cocoon. "Morning." She muttered, face smothered in her too-soft hotel pillow. Blearily, Mae sat up, removing the dust from her eye with her fingernail. She stretched out, leaning forwards just enough to meet Bea's brown eyes with an apologetic smile. "Oh, geez. Did I kick you out of bed?"

"Eh, sort of. I got up early anyways. Breakfast is on the table." A glint entered her eyes, and she stopped mid-stroke to smirk at her friend. 

"You know you drool in your sleep, right?"

"Do not!" Mae yelled, resisting the urge to bury her head beneath the comforter. Oh, hey, that was something ostriches did! Nice. Mae always wanted to be a bird of prey. Wait, were ostriches birds of prey? What about emus? Emus were cool. In the Great Emu War, Australia-

Bea tossed her hairbrush at Mae, interrupting her day dreaming. "Run a brush through your hair. You need it." Gee, thanks, Bea. Real champ when it came to encouragement. Thankfully for her fragile self-confidence, Mae was well aware her apathetic friend was just expressing concern. Even if it was a little harsh. 

She deftly caught the plastic object, raking it through her hair. Her dark hair, although short, could still get remarkably knotted. Yanking it through the matted snarls, Mae gradually pulled herself off the welcoming mattress, not bothering to make the bed behind her. 

Of course, Angus's bed was immaculate, covers neatly folded over, and the pillows arranged nicely. He'd probably even thrown away their complementary styrofoam cups, too. Neat freak.

Gregg chose that moment to re-enter the room, albeit much quieter this time. He'd made an effort to look nice, putting on a clean t-shirt and jeans, adorned with his ever-present leather jacket. Sure, the shirt had several dark spots where it'd been splashed with water, but hey, he wasn't screaming any more, so so Mae counted that as a definite plus.

Gregg shoved his hands into his pockets, waiting for Mae to finish her slightly chilled fast-food pancakes. She wondered who was thoughtful enough to get something for her. "If we wanna get on the road by 10, we should probably head out soon." He offered.

Grabbing her keys from the scuffed end table, Bea slid on a light jacket while Angus hefted his suitcase at his side. 

"Ready?" Angus asked.

"One second." Mae grabbed the thin, serrated plastic knife from the paper bag, twisting it over in her hands. She was overcome with the sudden thought that after they were gone there would be no sign they'd ever been there. 

Like they didn't even exist.

"Uhh, Mae?" 

She flipped the knife over, end pointing down, and hid it beneath the table so her friends wouldn't see. It slid against the table, the tiny serrations grating over the wood with a faint 'shhhck'. Mae shoveled bits of pancakes into her mouth to avoid suspicion, her fingers gripping the plastic surface.

_Shhhck._

She cleaned her mouth off with the paper napkins as her friends began sliding on their shoes.

_Shhhck._

"Mae, we gotta go." Gregg said, picking at a loose thread on his shirt.

"Yeah, one sec!" She insisted.

_Shhhck._

The cuts on the table leg went left-right, left-right, a series of notches formed by her, only! An 'x' to mark a spot she'd been, leaving some indication she'd existed, no matter how small.

She stood up, brushing crumbs to the floor. "Okay, yeah. Let's go."

Mae exited the room, plastic knife still tucked away in her hand.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Chicago was _gorgeous_.

Mae had been stunned by Bright Harbor, but Chicago? No, Bright Harbor couldn't even dream of competing with a city of this stature. Silver skyscrapers loomed into the cloudless blue sky, towering above the bustling roads. Their metallic architecture, and the city's surreal movement gave Mae the feeling of an elaborate dream. For someone who'd never left her state before, (although Mae would wager people who had left felt the same) the twists and turns of the city stole the breath from her throat, and her eyes were wide as she surveyed the throngs of people walking the streets. 

The car thudded over a pothole, and Bea gripped the leather steering wheel with an unsure hesitation, slowly navigating between the multitude of cars on their way to various tasks. A car rolled to their side, windows down, and Mae caught the bored expression on the passenger's face, his tie flapping in the wind. He looked utterly disinterested, and Mae wondered how you could get used to something that was always changing. Surely there was something new every day? A different experience, an interesting person to meet, a nee job to be done.

Maybe that was why Possum Springs was becoming more desolate every day- How could someone possibly stay content in her stagnant little town when they were surrounded by a constantly altered world?

Eventually, everyone would move forwards, and Possum Springs would be left in the dust.

Gregg had already slung off his seatbelt, the upper half of his torso out of the window as he leaned forward, marveling at the vivacity and lively pace at which the city moved. 

Angus had rolled his window down as well, his face filled with more excitement then Mae had ever witnessed before, although he restrained himself from doing anything more than staring out at the throngs of people.

They were good for each other. Mae had never seen someone who could hold Gregg steady for so long, and Bea had never met anyone that could make Angus open up. It made a tiny, jealous sliver of Mae's heart hurt just a little to see her best friend paying so much attention to someone else. 

But, they were happy. So Mae was happy too.

Gregg began typing on his phone, his fingers gliding across the glossy screen. "So, where to first? We've got Millenium Park, Navy Pier, Shedd Aquarium... Hold on, lemme see what else." 

"The Museum of Science and Industry." Angus suggested, adjusting his glasses so that they sat on the bridge of his nose.

Gregg perked up, thrilled his boyfriend was getting involved. "Yeah, okay dude! Let's go. That good with everyone else?"

Bea and Mae hummed their affirmation. While science wasn't really her thing, science meant space, and space meant _rockets_

Plus, it'd make Angus happy. That was pretty good too.

Bea pulled the red truck into a parking garage, squeezing them into a narrow gap. It smelled like gasoline and burnt rubber, but Mae was still practically bouncing with excitement. Gregg actually _was_ bouncing, his foot tapping so rapidly it seemed as if he were blurring.

They ascended the grimy steps up into the parking lot of the towering museum, its intricate columns spiraling into the air. 

Angus breathed out a few words of incredulity, marveling at the sight in front of them.

Gregg beamed, squeezing Angus's mittened hand in his own. "Well?"

The boy took off immediately, almost dragging his too giddy boyfriend behind him.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Four day passes, please." Mae awkwardly shuffled through her wallet, pulling out a wrinkled twenty as the others passed their money forward, handing it to the cashier. He was roughly their age- early twenties, at the most. His bronzy brown hair was styled in a wave, and when he smiled at her his teeth almost reflected the light. The man reminded her of the epitome of the high-school jock cliché, perfect in every possible facet, and good looking, too.

"Thanks." She murmured, trying not to stare at his hazel eyes, which, she noted, were beautifully shaped, and dotted with flecks of amber. He smiled pleasantly at her, his cologne reminding Mae distinctly of pine needles and the old library back in town. Awestruck, and a little off-put, she smiled hesitantly back.

Her expression was wiped off her face when she noticed he was smiling at Bea, not her.

"Hey, I'm getting off shift soon, you guys need a tour around?"

Mae narrowed her dark brows. "Uh, why do you ask?"

A laughed echoed from his chest, clear and warm, and Mae's skin prickled with unfounded dislike. "No offense, but you look a little lost. I don't mind, it's not any trouble for me." He dragged his fingers through his gelled hair, and it immediately bounced back into its former position. 

Mae looked surreptitiously over her shoulder, searching for an excuse to bolt. No one in line to save her.

"Uh, isn't their someone that needs your help?" She gestured behind her vaguely. "Some customer to assist, or something?"

Bea elbowed her, hissing a few words under her breath. "Mae, don't be rude!" She smiled kindly, her expression now welcoming and coy, to Mae's indignation. "Yes, that'd be wonderful."

Ken- that's what she was going to call the unnaturally-perfect cashier, as his name tag was being obscured- stepped away from his position, holding out a hand to Bea.

"Actually, we're gonna have to decline. Reeealllly busy. Wouldn't want to distract from.... Whatever it is you need to do." She looped an arm through Bea's, all but dragging her away. "Sorry! Gotta go!" She called back to him without turning around.

Once they were a relatively safe distance away, Bea snuck a wistful glance in Ken's direction, and then turned to her friend.

"What the hell?"

Mae didn't answer, instead opting to follow Angus to where he was examining an interactive circuitry set. "Having fun?"

He remained focused, but a softness drifted across his face. 

"Glad to hear it, Big Guy."

Gregg yanked on her wrist, pulling Mae away from Bea, who seemed to have her attention caught on some laminated flier tacked up to the wall.

"Dude, they have a batting machine! You pitch, and it tells you your force and speed!" The smaller of the two allowed herself to be led to the construction, at which Gregg tossed her a baseball.

"Give it a shot!" He encouraged.

Mae's fingers clenched around the object, and she suddenly longed for the comforting familiarity of the weight of a baseball bat in her hand. She reeled back, tossing it at the goal with as much force as she could muster.

It clattered off, a score popping up on the screen, and Gregg clapped as she tossed it a few more times, her arm aching afterwards. 

He shook her shoulder gently. "Nice, dude!"

She winked in return, calling out for Bea to join them. No response. Gregg joined in the shouting too, and she briefly looked up, clearly enthralled in the paper. Gregg debated tossing the baseball at her.

Bea lingered for a few seconds longer, hesitantly yanking herself away from the sheet. She pulled a pen from the crinkled pleather purse hanging at her side and jotted something in dark ink on her hand, walking to where Mae was beckoning.

"Whatcha doing?" Mae inquired. Uninterested now, Gregg meandered off to the next thing that captured his fleeting attention.

Her friend shook her head. "Nothing important. Where's Angus?" 

Mae bounced to her next train of thought. "Oh, yeah! I bet he's looking at something... sciencey. Y'know, it's really sad that Pluto's not a planet anymore! Poor little guy. All alone in deep space." Mae waved her hands, pointing vaguely upwards.

"Right. The lifeless rock. Very sad."

Mae huffed, twisting dramatically away from her sarcastic companion. "It _is_ sad!"

Bea's mouth tilted up at the corner. "Sure."

A high-pitched voice called out to them, footsteps thudding along the carpet flooring. "I got space food!" Gregg shouted, dangling his packaged prize in front of them. 

He threw a distracted smile in their direction. "Angus wants to go see the IMAX movie playing, so I got snacks."

Bea raised a single manicured eyebrow. "It's like a half hour long, do you really need-"

" _Snacks_." Gregg insisted.

They sped to the viewing theater, attracting several odd looks from patrons leisurely strolling the museum. A mother pulled her child to her waist, glaring at Mae as she raced through the exhibits, blowing past the ticketmaster seconds before the doors shut.

The four ran up the steep steps, Mae thundering up to the top row, Gregg coming close behind her.

Apologizing the the stuffed crowd, Bea squeezed into the tight aisle, sitting directly between Angus and Mae. The room felt almost surreal, the quiet murmur of the crowd dulling into peaceful white noise, only punctuated by Gregg ripping open bag after bag of over-priced junk food.

Mae craned her neck, leaning directly in the line of sight of the people behind her. Whoops. "I can't see anything." She whined.

A voice behind her snapped a few choice words, clearly displeased that she was obstructing both his view, and the noise of the movie. 

The dome encircling the theater filled the dark room with pale light as various logos and messages were projected upon it. Sitting in the top row was apparently _not_ the best way to view the extensive screen, as Mae was squashed in her chair, attempting to get as flat as possible to be able to see the screen.

Angus removed his thick rimmed glasses, slipping them into his pocket with care. It struck Mae that she'd never seen Angus without glasses before.

"Why'd you take them off?"

"I think it's big enough for me to see." He remarked dryly, staring up at the previews.

Mae twisted around half in her seat, half laying across Bea's chest. Comfortable? No. Could she see? ...Also no.

"Nice of you to stop by." 

Mae winked, adjusting her head so that it was laying on Bea's leg, her face tilted toward the ceiling. Stars and planets moved across the screen in a quiet daze, the emptiness of space somehow soothing.

The roar of a rocket burst through the speakers, and Mae catapulted out of her chair, only to be restrained by Bea's sweater-clad arm wrapping tightly across her waist.

She looked up, giving an awkward smile to her friend. "Uh, thanks."

Bea tensed in the darkness. "Yeah. No problem."

It was only after the credits began to roll that Mae realized that Bea hadn't retracted her arm.

Oddly enough, she didn't mind it at all.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0  
After another hour of interactive exhibits, they took a rest at the food court. Mae drank in the greasy smells of the fast food, and clatter of the families around them.

"I wanted to see the Cultural Center. It's got art and theater for free, and I'd rather not spend any more money than necessary. Was there anywhere you wanted to go?" Bea's eyes swept across Gregg's phone's map, analyzing the various attractions and sights around the city.

"Shedd Aquarium?" Angus asked hopefully, although he was well aware it wasn't Bea's ideal destination.

Bea frowned, and checked her battered watch. "We don't have time for both. We can't-"

Gregg entered the conversation, genially swinging his arm around Bea's shoulders. "We can go to the Cultural Center. You two," He pointed at Mae and Angus, "can go to Shedd Aquarium. Problem solved!" 

"No offense, but what interest could you possibly have in the Chicago Cultural Center?" Bea asked, apprehension creeping into her voice. Gregg removed his arm from its position around her, and groaned in false distress.

"I'm hurt, Bea!" He paused. "But, you're right. I don't. Millennium Park is right next door." He didn't look the least bit perturbed by the expression she was giving him, which was a first for Bea. Typically, when she glared at someone, they backed down. Even Mae knew to give the subject a rest when receiving a Look from the taller, and stronger, girl.

It was a little infuriating.

"Go figure." Of course he wasn't interested. Skateboards and graffiti had always entertained him far more than art. And, if Bea was remembering correctly, he didn't even show up to their elementary art class four out of five days. The fifth was when they got to create rather than paint. He didn't do so much creating as he did smashing, unfortunately. Mae and Gregg were joined at the hip at that age. Figuratively, through their platonic bond, and literally, through a mixture of glitter glue and spit.

Angus exchanged a few words with Mae, and she nodded with acceptance. " _I _don't have an ulterior motive. I just wanna see a shark."__

__Well, at least she hadn't changed._ _

__0-0-0-0-0-0-0_ _

__"Are you _sure_ I can just leave you?" Bea asked, hesitating on the marble steps of the institute._ _

__Gregg rolled his eyes, already walking away. "Yeah, yeah. I'm not a child!"_ _

__"Okay, go. Call me if you-"_ _

__But Gregg was already gone, sprinting down the choppy sidewalks at breakneck pace._ _

__\-------_ _

__The Cultural Center was _wonderful_. There were pieces of history from all around the globe, as well as theater and art! Journalism, writing, political commentary. It was all there- history, embalmed in time. _ _

__She waited on the cold stone, absently checking her phone for a message, or some indication of his location, from Gregg. A flash of blond hair and black leather appeared next to her, scuttling up the steps._ _

__Bea sat up, beginning to descend the staircase. "Oh, good. You're back. So, Mae and Angus are-" She stopped abruptly as a gilnt caught her eye._ _

__She sucked in a gasp, her eyes widening. "You didn't."_ _

__Gregg smiled devilishly, turning his head to offer her a better view. "I don't know what you're talking about."_ _

__"Angus is going to _kill_ you." Bea murmured, voice dull from shock._ _

__"He's gonna have to deal with it!" Gregg preened._ _

__Not only had Gregg returned from the park with a slice of half-eaten pizza, he'd come back with not one, but _two_ glittering rhinestone studs in his ears. _ _

__"You don't like them?" Gregg frowned._ _

__"No, they're fine," Bea assured him. She noticed Gregg flipping his wallet in his hands, fiddling with the straps and buttons. "How much did it cost?"_ _

__Gregg smiled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Uh, the piercing itself? Fifteen bucks. So that, plus the earrings, the kit, and the, uh, other earrings I bought..." He pondered for a moment._ _

__"Roughly $75?"_ _

__Well. At least he had the sense to look ashamed._ _

__"Oh _God_." Bea muttered._ _

__Gregg flopped down onto the concrete curb, devouring the rest of his pizza. He didn't seem to care about the cars whizzing by, instead opting to stretch his feet out along the pavement. "He's not gonna be _that_ mad. Besides, I'm an adult! I can make decisions too." He pouted in a very un-adult way._ _

__"So, what? You're just gonna hide it from him forever?"_ _

__"No! Well, yes- Maybe? I dunno!" Gregg blurted, struggling to make a decision._ _

__Bea sighed, and pulled her woolen hat off, tossing it to her friend. "This is a... gift."_ _

__Gregg looked at her inquisitively._ _

__"For your ears, dumbass. So Angus doesn't see them."_ _

__Gregg's blue eyes lit up, and a wild grin spread over his face. "Awww, thanks, Bea-Bea."_ _

__"....Don't call me that."_ _

__"Oh, so what?" Gregg snickered playfully. "Only Mae can call you that? Maybe I'll just tell-"_ _

__" _Greggory Lee_ , if you don't drop this subject _right now_ -" _ _

__"Alright, geez! Touchy, touchy." The blond tsked, yanking the black hat over his ears._ _

__"I don't know what you're insinuating." Bea protested._ _

__"Oh, don't worry, I know you're straight. I saw the way you looked at that boy at the counter."_ _

__Heat rose on Bea's face, and she opened her mouth to defend herself before Gregg cut her off._ _

__"Not that I really blame you, because _damn_! But, of course, I have eyes only for Angus." Gregg mock swooned, tossing his arm across his forehead. _ _

__Bea suppressed a laugh, and held out a hand, helping Gregg to his feet. "Ready?"_ _

__"Hell yeah! Let's go pull off a deception."_ _

__Bea couldn't say she agreed, but she was willing to help him try._ _

__At any rate, it'd be interesting._ _

__The four met up again a tiny coffee shop nestled away into the elaborate architecture of the city, the panes of glass foggy in the early summer wind. The smell of cinnamon and bitter coffee beans wafted through the air, and Bea reveled in the atmosphere it gave off._ _

__"Is that Bea's hat?" Angus asked in greeting._ _

__"I got chilly." Gregg shrugged, his head uncomfortably warm from the scratchy material._ _

__"...We're inside."_ _

__"Low cold-tolerance?" Gregg suggested, palms up._ _

__Shaking his head in disbelief, Angus ran his fingers through his dark hair. "Okay. Sure. Fine."_ _

__Bea raised an eyebrow at the boy next to her. "That's it?" She whispered._ _

__Gregg leaned into her shoulder, whispering in return. "No way. He's totally gonna make me take it off later."_ _

__"Just take out the studs!" Bea hissed, the volume of her words picking up as she continued to talk._ _

__Gregg looked affronted. "I _can't_. The holes will close up!"_ _

__A hand gripped both of their shoulders from behind, and Bea tensed up under the touch._ _

__"Man, you guys would make _awful_ spies." Mae grinned cheekily, slinking into a chair beside them. "So, whatcha talking about?" _ _

__Making sure Angus was preoccupied with their food, Gregg pulled off the hat, revealing his disheveled hair, and the lustrous square rhinestones embedded in his ears._ _

__" _Damn_." Mae said, not bothering to lower her voice. She pointed at the plastic bag Gregg held, motioning for him to open it. _ _

__Mae took a moment to laugh, scratching at her arm as Gregg showcased his new acquisitions. "Y'know, it's stupid, but I'm kinda jealous. I always hoped we'd get piercings, like, together. As a friendship thing?"_ _

__Bea rolled her eyes. "Are you getting worked up over a friendship charm? Is that what you need to solidify your relationships?"_ _

__Mae began to fire a response, but Gregg interjected. "Hey, we can go back? If you want?"_ _

__"Nah, earrings aren't my style."_ _

__"Then why would you-"_ _

__"But, still! You could've invited me." Mae huffed petulantly._ _

__Sensing an oncoming debate, Bea spoke up. "If it matters that much to you, I'll buy you some cheap jewelry or something. Alright?"_ _

__"Yeah, sure. Whatever." Mae said, ruffled. The immediate challenge may have been dodged, but it was apparent to Bea that Mae was upset over more than the earrings._ _

__Gregg sped up his leisurely walk, coming to rest next to Angus as they exited the shop with their drinks. Mae watched him walk away, her warm eyes tinged with bitterness. Not knowing how to handle the situation, Bea reached out with caution, her palm resting on her friend's shoulder in what she hoped was a comforting gesture. The shorter girl shrugged off her hand, and continued her brisk steps with a nasty look._ _

__Chicago seemed considerably more gray, despite the clear blue sky. The wind whipped Bea's dark hair around her face, and she pulled her jacket a little tighter across her shoulders. Although Gregg was animatedly demonstrating something to Angus, Bea couldn't help but feel that something was off. Mae was in a poor mood, and she had no reason to be. They were in _Chicago_! Maybe the science exhibits hadn't caught Mae's attention, but she'd had fun seeing marine life, and dashing around street corners, right?_ _

__Mae scuffled with a loose chunk of concrete, the toe of her boot sending it careening under the wheel of a nearby car._ _

__Gregg turned around, his lips pursed as he examined his closest friend. "Dude, what the hell is going on?"_ _

__The dark haired girl pointedly turned away, watching the steady stream of vehicles zipping down the streets._ _

__Well, if she was going to be childish, then _fine. Not Bea's problem. She held a cigarette between her fingers, taking comfort in the thin wisp of smoke that curled into the cool air.__ _

___The four descended into the oily parking garage, and set out for the road again._ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah, hope you enjoyed! There's some stuff I forgot to mention:
> 
> It's human AU. I know it confused some people, so it's tagged now!! 
> 
> If you need trigger warnings, feel free to ask! I will absolutely oblige, no matter how 'weird' they are!
> 
> Yes, I'm well aware this chapter isn't as good. I'm sorry about that, I'll try to do better in the future. If you have any criticism, please feel absolutely free to point it out.
> 
> Also, I'm looking for a beta! I like having multiple people read over my story before it's sent out, and having someone edit/add suggestions is always a huge help to me! If you're interested, you can contact me at: @fan-this-spark-into-a-flame
> 
> Or, on the other hand, I'm open to co-authoring as well! If you're interested in working on the story with me, we can give it a shot! I'm so thrilled that this many people read my work, and I want to provide the best writing possible. If that means co-authoring, then I'm happy to do it!
> 
> SUPER COOL THING: SegeMarl drew [this](http://segemarldoodles.tumblr.com/post/159514433029/drew-a-scene-from-chapter-3-of) awesome piece of art! It's great, go check it out!
> 
> Rainbow-Flavoured (on Tumblr), my former beta, drew some [cool things](https://rainbow-flavoured.tumblr.com/post/159585161420/we-were-watching-a-boring-video-in-science-today) as well! I really appreciate that people like it enough to make art for it! 
> 
> ((also ThreeEyedBunny made a tag meme that made me laugh, it's in the comments of chap. 3))
> 
> ANYWAYS that's about it for important things!! On to stuff abt the story:
> 
> so ive never been to chicago so i just mashed up a science center in cleveland with the air and space museum in dc r.i.p.
> 
> also there are like.... 4 major plot points beginning in this chapter so keep an eye out
> 
> next chapter will come out next week hopefully
> 
> and if u guys have writing tips?? im 100% open cuz i use like.... Nothing™ but dialogue
> 
> note: this chapter is unbeta-ed, as my previous beta resigned. I've read it over, but if you spot any mistakes, hmu!
> 
> As always, I love reading your comments! They are what motivate me to keep going. I do my best to personally respond, so if you're up to it, leave one! I always appreciate it. 
> 
> bye folks see yall next week


	5. First, The Calm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> light me on fire

At this point, Bea would almost applaud if a tree fell, and smashed the car to crumpled little pieces. Driving along the busy Iowa highway while dealing with the overpowering tension emanating from Mae was a fate worse than death. Not to mention, they were still playing Disney songs. If Bea had to hear 'Hakuna Matata' (a not so subtle hint from Gregg) one more _Goddamn time_ , she was going to smash the radio to bits. Bea caught herself staring blankly out at the traffic ahead, unaware of the world around her. Four hours in the car through Illinois, and now Iowa, had taken their toll. 

Gregg shot her a concerned look from the driver's seat. "What's wrong, dude?" He dialed the knob down, lowering the volume of the music. "Ah, shit. Do I need to turn on 'Reflection'?"

Gregg's joke brought a quirk of a smile to her face. "Let's just stop soon."

That grabbed Mae's attention. She straightened up hopefully, leaning into her scratched and frayed seatbelt. "McDonalds?" 

Angus frowned. "For the past two days, I've eaten nothing but fast food and gas station pizza. I'd prefer a restaurant, if that's an option."

Mae flopped back into her seat, watching Bea out of the corner of her eye. "What're you doing?" 

"Work." Bea continued typing, her fingers barely faltering over the letters.

"For the Pickaxe?"

"Just work." 

Mae crossed her arms, obviously still a little peeved. Bea really didn't understand why she was overreacting so badly. She was acting like a child, throwing a fit because not everything went exactly her way. 

This wasn't just about the earrings, was it?

Thankfully for the rest of the car's occupants, Mae's sudden outburst in Chicago had seemed to satisfy most of her animosity, and she instead resorted to acting sullen, and refusing to sing even when 'Part Of Your World' came on the radio.

Oh, and opening the window 'accidentally' so Bea's hat flew off. That too.

Gregg pulled into the driveway of a tiny, but well lit diner just off the edge of the highway, the signage's looping calligraphy faded and peeling. 

As the four entered the restaurant, pressing lightly on the old wooden door, a tinny bell rang throughout the cluttered space.

The restaurant's smell was that of an old library- and it looked that way too. Papers and junk were littered from wall to wall, and the receptionist had to step over piles of clutter to reach her desk. Bea noticed a partially obscured sign on the desk that read 'pictures available.'

"What's that?" she asked.

The receptionist titled her head, her blonde bob nearly radiating hairspray. "Hmm? Oh, _that_. We've been here since the 1920's, and we have some old props that are set up if anyone wants to take a photo!"

"We'll do that." Mae interjected.

"...We will?"

Angus hummed to himself, looking over to where a few patrons were seated at rickety wooden tables. "You two can do that. I'm going to go get us a table."

 _Well, there's no rush,_ Bea thought, _there's not much of a demand._

The woman clapped her hands, her oversaturated hair bouncing with the effort. "Right over there, girls. There's a bunch a' clothes you can try on, okay?" 

She opened a creaking door, and pointed them inside to a tiny room, filled with musty crates of old clothing, much of it in a state of disrepair. Turning on her heel, she paused in the doorframe. "Just put them on over your clothes. Oh, and remember- ya break it, ya bought it."

The door slammed shut, leaving the two girls alone.

Mae giggled, perching a feathery, frivolous velvet hat on her head. "Like it?" 

"It's lovely." Bea deadpanned.

Bea gently thumbed through the piles of clothing, her eyes catching on a pale yellow dress, wrinkled and twisted in a heap on the floor. Amongst all the ritzy dresses and sparkling outfits, this simplicity was rather comforting.

She lifted the thin fabric up, bundling it over her head. "Mae, are you-"

Bea turned to see Mae in a state of half-dress, tugging on different articles of clothing.

"Uh, sorry, it's not fitting. One sec." To Bea's horror, the shorter girl quickly began peeling off her jeans, sliding the too-long suit pants over her legs.

Bea spun away, smoothing her pastel dress over with perhaps a little more force than necessary. 

They were _best friends_! Or, at least, they had been. The pair had been around each other constantly as kids. They'd eaten together, tried on clothing, hell, they'd even slept in the same bed! This shock, this electrifying feeling, as if someone had somehow stuck a steel rod in her arm, shouldn't be happening.

 _Unless_ -

 _No_. She insisted to herself. _Absolutely not_.

Her train of thought was interrupted as Mae bounced to her side.

"All good!" Mae called. The over-sized clothing made the smaller girl, sturdy as she was, look like she was drowning in fabric, the black material draping awkwardly over her body. Only barely realizing what she was doing, Bea reached over to adjust her top, taking a bobby pin from her hair to hold the loose fabric in place. Mae smiled briefly, a flicker of confusion on her face. "Uh. Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

A knock rapped on the door, and Bea yanked her hand from Mae's shoulder as if burned. 

"Girls?" The woman called, voice saccharine and overly pleasant.

"We're ready, ma'am!" Bea said, still rigid in place.

The light lock slid out of place, and the woman came bustling in with a large camera, its lens, like everything else, coated in a thin film of dust. "Smile!"

Taken by suprise, Mae tilted her head to the left, and Bea gave a strained smile as the bright light flashed in their faces.

"Excellent! You can pick up your photos at the front desk, okay?" The woman's bright red lipstick smudged across her teeth as she spoke, and she sashayed out of the doorway as Mae began sliding off her clothing. 

Bea gingerly lifted the pale yellow dress over her head, neatly folding the fragile fabric as she stowed it away. Hmm. Not bad. Not something she'd ever wear in public, but she couldn't help but to admire the cheerful effect it had, the colors sapped and bleached, as if from a dream. Bea wondered if the people who had worn it in the past had felt the same way.

"Ready?" She tore her gaze away, trying very hard to avoid fixating on the way Mae's arms brushed against hers as she struggled with the buttons on her thin coat.

"Ready!"

They approached the front desk, and Bea fished her wallet from her bag. Mae put a hand on her wrist, her warm skin sending even more shockwaves up Bea's arm.

"Nah, you've paid for, like, everything so far. You gotta let me do it."

"Mae-"

"I have a job too, y'know!" Mae joked, although Bea could sense the underlying strain in her voice.

"Besides," Mae said, "maybe you can use the money to buy a new hat? I think you're down..." She raised finger to her chin, tapping it lightly in mock thought. "Two now? One for me, and one for Gregg."

Bea narrowed her eyes. "You little shi-"

Mae curled around the taller girl, snickering quietly to herself. "Aww, you love me anyways."

Tripping over her feet, Bea forced a laugh, her throat suddenly dry. "I think Gregg and Angus are waiting for us." She rasped. Mae took advantage of her position, reaching behind Bea's back to snatch the photos from the woman, whose smile now looked rather forced, and slid her a twenty in return. She grinned triumphantly at Bea, who returned the smile with an equally powerful glare.

Mae turned, scrutinizing her friend's face. "Hey, are you okay? You look kinda pale."

"I'm fine." Bea said through gritted teeth.

They walked in silence, manuevering their way between tables to where Gregg and Angus sat at a window seat, talking animatedly with each other.

Mae stopped a few paces away, just out of earshot of their friends. "Sorry for being such an ass earlier." She muttered, averting her eyes.

Bea smiled weakly, silently grateful that Mae had misinterpreted the situation. "It's okay." 

Mae was already shaking her head, displeased with Bea's response. "No, it's not! I-"

"It is. Really. I promise." They didn't need any more conflict, and Bea certainly wasn't going to prolong this one. She couldn't take another three days of cold silence. 

"But-"

"Let's just sit down." Bea said, striding towards the messy little table. A look of frustration on Mae's face assured Bea that this conversation definitely wasn't over, but Mae reluctantly complied, sitting down to her pre-ordered plate of tacos, courtesy of Angus. Bea made a mental note to pay him back later.

A choking sound disrupted the meal, the sound of tinkling silverware permeating the area. Mae clutched their fresh photographs, cackling as she tilted her head back. "Aw, Bea, come here. You're gonna get a kick out of this."

Bea took the photos from Mae's hand, jaw dropping in astonishment. "Oh my _God._ "

Tears were leaking out of the corner of Mae's bright eyes as she giggled uncontrollably. digging her fingernails into the wood. "Gregg, Gregg, look! They put the _wedding_ filter on it." 

And sure enough, they had. The photo was bordered with strings of white flowers, glitter and lens flares galore scattered across the page. Amongst the flowery special effects Mae's awkward head tilt looked endearing and sweet in her faded tuxedo, the tint of the photograph reminiscent of some long-ago memory, fading ever so slightly into a forgotten dream.

Bea slid the photos back, trying desperately not to lose her cool despite the flushes of heat creeping up her face and neck. Mae continued to cackle, snorts escaping from her nose as she handed the photos over to Gregg. Thank God for dark skin, or her embarrassment would've been impossible to hide. 

Mae was so _cute_. Her silly little smile, and the way her face lit up when she was happy. The confidence and swagger that she exuded despite being sweet, and kind. She even let that little fourteen year-old stick around! 

No, Bea. No, no, _no_. 

Try as she might, Bea was all too aware that she could push it to the back of her mind, but she couldn't deny it completely.

Maybe the real reason she was so averse to Mae's playful accusations of love were because they were _true_.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Are you _sure_ you know where you're going?" 

"Pshaw. Course I do." Gregg answered, waving his hand flippantly. Bea resisted the urge to grab the steering wheel from his reckless grip. If she ended up dead in a ditch at age twenty, then, well, they'd know who to blame.

The blonde had decided to take them on what he called a 'minor detour'. Apparently, in Gregg's book, 'minor' meant Seven _fucking hours of cornfields and bugs_. Seven. Not that they wouldn't have had to drive through Nebraska anyway, but this detour, no matter how close Gregg insisted it was, was really beginning to screw with Bea's head. She couldn't recall another time she'd seen so many damn cows. It was hard to believe they'd went from towering skyscrapers to towering.... plants.

At roughly nine p.m, the sun was only beginning to set, the bright blue slowly swirling into a faint purple, and lower down, a pale orange. Summer felt so bizarre. With the late night sunsets, and the foggy heat, nothing felt quite real in the quiet atmosphere. Had someone asked Bea just last week if she'd ever consider tourist-trap hunting alongside a boy she wasn't even really friends with in a foreign state, she would've told them, without a doubt, they were absolutely insane. If someone had asked her that today.... Well, the way this was going, she'd say the same thing.

In the passenger's seat, Angus shuffled around a few sheaths of paper, setting his phone in his pocket. "Signal's out."

"There's a map in the glove box." Bea stole an apprehensive glance at the still bright sky, an impending sense of worry settling on her heart. 

Gregg turned to her, noticing the concern on her face. "We're almost there!" he said, chirped, not seeming dissuaded in the least.

They turned, dirt roads leading into gravel, and Bea began to fear a popped tire. No other car drove along the road, and the muggy air was thick with heat as the car groaned along. 

"Bug, we should really-"

"Trust me!" Gregg insisted, his voice growing more confident by the second. Bea was never really sure whether Gregg's untouchable confidence was an act of false bravado or if the boy's ego was just so large that he couldn't imagine the possibility of failure. She was beginning to suspect the latter.

She leaned back in her seat, taking comfort in her too-warm skin resting against the cool leather of the car. Even if Gregg was taking them a little off course, Bea could, for some reason, accept it. An hour out here is an hour she's allowed to continue living out this fantasy, this false world where responsibility doesn't exist, and her greatest worry is Mae singing another awful rendition of 'I'll Make A Man Out Of You'.

Speaking of Mae, she was crumpled in the seat on the opposite side of the car, her head lolling gently against the window, the dim orange rays of the sun dancing across her skin. She didn't seem to notice, but her grip was still tight around the photographs, which, Bea thinks, probably are now scuffed and wrinkled from her incessant fondling. But that's okay. Because they're _Mae's_ fingerprints littered across the ink, and Bea can't imagine anyone she'd rather have destroy her stuff than the brash, odd, endearing girl beside her.

The car passed over a bump in the poorly made road, and Mae jolted from her resting position as if struck, her slight form tense as she sat up. "We there yet?" She mumbled her voice muddled, not yet fully separated from her daze.

Shooting a pointed, yet half-hearted glare at the boy in the front seat, Bea held her laptop gently, her fingers sporadically producing bouts of clicks and taps on the keys. "Apparently not. There's no signal, so, if you know how to read a map, now's the time to speak up."

Mae laughed groggily, the sunlight on her brown eyes flourishing the red tint she hated so much. 'Nightmare Eyes', Mae called them. 

Bea couldn't help but think that they were rather pretty.

A cheer echoed from the front seat as Gregg yelled loudly, pumping his fist in the air. "Look, Angus! Can you see it? It's right... there!" He pointed to a rising crest of figures, far off rectangular prisms jutting into the glowing skyline. As they edged closer, Bea noticed they were in a particular pattern, something that, for some reason, sparked a form of recognition. Arranged in a circle, the gigantic slabs cast looming shadows on the ground. The silhouette seemed all too familiar, but Bea couldn't quite place her finger on _why_ -

Then it clicked, her eyes widening a fraction.

"...Stonehenge?" She whispered, aghast.

"Car henge," Gregg provided helpfully, "it's like Stonehenge, but made of _cars_."

"You did _not_ drag us an hour out of our way to see some rusty cars laying here to rot-" Bea said, her voice containing far more venom than she truly felt.

"Yup!" Gregg responded, hanging loosely onto the wheel as the car swayed down the road.

Mae crowed sleepily from beside her, stretching her limbs out as she blinked sleep from her eyes. "Nice one, dude."

The car had barely come to a stop when Gregg threw open the door and sprinted out, running towards the dilapidated structure at full speed. Stone replicas of trucks stuck out at all angles, striking an imposing, yet comical, figure into the sky.

Of course _this_ was what Gregg wanted to see. Because, why wouldn't he? 

The blonde was already attempting (poorly) to scale a car, his feet sliding off as soon as he left the ground, tumbling into an awkward heap in the unkempt grass. Undeterred, he backed up, and leapt at the truck with all his might, only to tumble to the ground again.

"Need some help?" Bea offered, unable to suppress a self-satisfied smirk. So, the cocky, over-confident boy _wasn't_ great at everything. Well, that wasn't counting math. But that could be put down to his ADHD, she supposed. Besides, he was charming enough that none of his teachers failed him, anyways.

Gregg adjusted his hat- _her_ hat, Bea reminded herself- resolutely, clearly intending to deny her offer. "I've got this." He said.

He took a few more bounds at the car- only managing to get about half-way up before he slid down again, his hands scraping roughly into the chipped paint. Sweat lined his forehead in a sheen, and his chest heaved as he stared longingly at the top of the car, which was pointed front down into the dirt.

"You know," Bea said, pointedly glancing towards where Angus and Mae were poking around in the dirt, "Angus probably wouldn't be too thrilled if you ended up bashing your skull in."

Gregg shot her a stare full of mild contempt, but Bea didn't miss the mild concern that washed over his features. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just lift me up."

Bea knelt down, offering her interlocked fingers as a stepping stone. Gregg stepped with care onto her hands, and then planted his other foot directly on her face.

"Sorry!" Gregg said, not sounding very sorry at all. Bea would've spit a few choice words at him, had her mouth not been forced shut by shoe rubber. She could only shudder and hope Gregg had been careful about where he'd walked that day.

Knowing him, he probably hadn't.

His fingernails dug roughly into the stony surface, and he scrabbled over the edge, swinging his foot over as he came to rest in a sitting position. He grinned, extending an arm down with a loose swoop to Mae, who had bounded up in curiosity, a tiny bug perched on her shoulder. So _that_ was what she was doing in the mud. And, speaking of mud, it was now streaked on Mae's jeans, and would amost undoubtedly be in Bea's car. _Great._

Gregg's bright yellow hair was illuminated in the setting sun, seemingly giving him a blazing halo. "Come on up!" he said, grabbing her hand. She obliged, yanking on his arm, and yet another person used Bea as a step ladder. 

"Aw, dude. It's so cool up here." 

Bea's heart wobbled as she saw Mae tilt and slide on the slick surface of the car. If she wasn't careful, she was absolutely going to fall. And from that height... Well, it wouldn't hurt her _too_ badly, but she definitely wouldn't be walking away from a 16 foot drop.

Gregg stood up, clambering to his feet as he pulled out a camera. "Mae, c'mere!"

Dread lay thick and heavy on Bea's heart as Mae joined her best friend, not having the slightest amount of caution as she hastened to his side, throwing her arm around his shoulders happily for the benefit of the camera. Gregg angled his phone just right, making sure to get the blazing sun in the background as he gave a goofy wink, and Mae added in her lopsided smile, her eyes a fiery red that almost matched the sky behind her.

But it wasn't Bea's place to judge. She shouldn't be hindering Mae's fun, and besides, they're all adults, right? Mae can take care of herself- she's proven that so far. 

Angus adjusted his hat, and began his walk back to the car. Bea turned, about to join him, when a bloodcurdling shriek entered the air, and Bea's blood turned to ice in her veins.

Gregg's feet tripped past each other, and a nervous smile graced his features as if to say, "It's fine, I'm _fine_." And Bea would've believed him, if not for the look of pure terror on Mae's face. Shoes screeched on the old paint, and Gregg came to a rough stop, crouched tensely far above the ground, his body swaying ever so slightly.

An audible exhale came from Mae, her features flooding with relief as she reached out for her friend's hand, meaning to pull him up.

And then he slipped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen this chapter gave me such hell... i dont even want to explain why this was so bad 
> 
> also comments fill me with love and happiness. ily
> 
> bye folks if ur anxious for the next chapter u can bother me on tumblr


	6. Then, The Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy fourth of july down with capitalism

Even the faint humming of the various southern bugs slammed to a halt, the whole world seeming completely still as Mae’s scream pierced the air. Her fingers grazed past Gregg’s, and she could only watch in mute horror as his body arched, roughly cut strawberry blonde hair whipping past his face as he plummeted down, down, down, to the dry, cracked, and hardened earth below.

Until something stopped his fall.

Arms toned from years of hard work wrapped around him with frightening intensity, Bea’s figure sagging slightly under the weight that had just been forced upon her, barely daring to breathe.

Everyone remained frozen, and Mae’s mind shot back to a memory from a few days earlier, where she and Gregg had been in an equal amount of peril, only to have Angus rush forwards and whisk the two of them away. His face had a similar look now- terror, shock, and a wild intensity that had Mae almost afraid to be in his vicinity. His dark eyes flashed with something so raw, and primal, Mae could’ve been fooled that it wasn’t Angus she was seeing, but a shadow of him- fierce, and cold.

But now, someone new had stepped in. And Angus’s expression was tinged with a different emotion.

_Jealousy._

“Here,” Angus said, his voice clogged with relief. “I’ll take him.”

Bea hesitated for a split second, and Gregg, his eyes wide with fear, pushed out of her grasp, stumbling towards his boyfriend. The two met in a frantic embrace, each clinging onto to the other like they’d never see each other again, their chests rising and falling in unison.

Maybe she was mistaken? After all- Angus had every right to be concerned. She might’ve been mistaking jealousy for agitation, or worry.

But Mae couldn’t push away the lingering feeling that there was something very, very wrong.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

A piece of thick paper flew into the backseat, narrowly missing Mae’s head.

“It’s a map- snatched it from the diner.”

Mae flipped the sheet in her hands, turning it at an angle until she found where she assumed they were. Probably. Maybe.

“Left!”

The frayed seatbelt dug sharply into her side as the car careened to the left, banging Mae up against the window.

“Well _damn_ ,” Bea said, her voice light, “Give me a warning, first.”

“Asshole.”

“You know it!” Bea chuckled. “Also, take care of the map. It’s the only one we have.”

A beat of quiet.

“…Oops?” Mae whispered sheepishly.

The three turned to see the pamphlet-sized map dangling off Mae’s lap, utterly soaked by droplets of whatever drink Mae held in her hand, its colors bleeding together in a mass of swirled beiges and blues.

“God _damn it_ , Mae-” Bea snapped, all of the joking tone from earlier dropping from her voice.

“It’s fine! You guys have phones.” Mae defended herself, picking the sopping mess off of her legs with ease.

“They. Don’t. Work.” Deep breaths, Bea. Deep breaths.

“And?”

“If they’re not working, we don’t have a GPS, which means-”

“I _know_ what it means, Bea!”

“Then we’re stuck out here, in the middle of goddamn nowhere.” Bea ground out in a futile attempt to level out her temper.

Mae pursed her lips, annoyance obvious on her face. "That’s not _my_ fault-“

"That doesn’t fix the problem!” Bea’s voice rose, nearing a shout. Yeah, screw that. There was an issue, and if screaming was the only way to get that through to Mae, so be it.

“Uh, guys?” Gregg said, “I think you might wanna see this.”

Up ahead, the road which had previously been pavement, then gravel, then dirt, now dwindled away into nothing more than a stretch of weeds and dead grass.

“So…” Mae trailed off, the fire in her eyes dying a little.

“So.” Angus agreed.

“We turn around?”

“I guess,” Angus muttered, swiveling the car back around. A spray of mud and rocks clanged against the already patchy-at-best surface of the battered red truck.

Bea sat in silence, watching the gas meter creep lower and lower, in time with the rapidly setting sun.

Heavy droplets of water drummed against the windshield of the old truck, the windshield wipers working furiously to whisk them away. Not that it mattered much anyway. The sun was dropping, turning the sky an ominous red, and obscuring Bea’s vision further. She was becoming increasingly nervous by the second, twisting the car through muddied dirt roads that were almost certainly streaking its sides with grime. Where the _hell_ were they? Bea squinted at a rusted road sign, but to no avail. The paint was so badly chipped that it was completely incomprehensible.

Under normal circumstances, driving through Nebraska wouldn’t _so_ bad. Just corn fields for miles and miles. Wasn’t great, but, hell, it was a few hours she didn’t have to spend at the Pickaxe. Driving through without a map was completely different. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d even seen a house.

She briefly wondered how the store was being managed. Was Germ there? Had he made sure to keep the store stocked? Did anything terrible happen? She thumbed over the keypad of her old phone, tracing her fingers across its digits.

After everything was over and they returned home (assuming they ever got out of this hell hole of a state) Angus and Gregg would be gone in a matter of weeks- days, maybe. Over a series of late night chats on the phone, Angus had informed her that they’d already called a realtor. Some of their stuff was probably already packed away, maybe in the same types of cardboard boxes that still lay unpacked in _her_ room. They’d be gone, and she’d still be there. Working at the store she’d sworn all her life to avoid.

It was a little disheartening.

Like she was saying- normally, this wouldn’t be so awful.

But with no signal, no certainty they’d have enough gas, and no way of telling where exactly they were, it was as close to hell as Bea imagined she could get.

No, she amended. With all these endless fields of corn, the quiet atmosphere, and the lack of conversation, it was a lot closer to purgatory.

Gregg flopped back into his seat. “Y'know, Mae, it’s not a big deal. I don’t think I can read a map anyway.”

“The internet is ruining the youth!” Mae remarked sagely, bobbing her head up and down as if she’d just imparted some great wisdom.

“You’re on your computer _way_ more than the rest of us.”

“That’s what dropping out of college does to you- endless free time, and a thirst for spaghetti.”

A hollow laugh escaped from Gregg, and he kicked his muddy shoes up onto the dashboard. “Well, guess I’ll get another chance at death out here, then!”

“Shut _up_ ,” Angus said, his low rumble permeating the car.

Gregg stilled, tensing up. “Geez, big guy, it’s not a big deal. Just a joke.”

“Yeah, well, you almost fucking _died_ , so I don’t really want to hear what you consider a ‘big deal’ right now.”

They sat in silence, after that.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The sky was a deep blue, a remnant of the rain, the winding roads more 'boy-scout trail’ than 'well-tended asphalt’. Mae would’ve opened a window if not for the fear of being stabbed by a wayward branch.

“Shit!” Gregg exclaimed.

Bea flung around. “What happened? Are you okay?” She craned her neck, her brown eyes glossy in the darkness as she examined Mae. “Is Mae alright? Did something break?”

“Uh, no, none of those. Can we park the car? Please?”

“I’m not parking the car so you can get your damn sweatshirt, Gregg,” Angus said.

A nervous tinge entered the smaller boy’s tone. “Uh, that’s the problem, Cap'n. I don’t _have_ my sweatshirt. Or any of my clothes.”

“…What are you talking about?” Mae could almost feel the frown in Angus’s voice.

“My luggage. It’s gone. I left it in the hotel.” The words were said with almost convincing false confidence, but Mae could see Gregg’s hands twitching beside him.

“It’s okay,” Mae offered, “we can just call the hotel and ask them to mail it back to us, right?”

No one spoke, waiting for Mae to realize the obvious.

“Oh. Yeah.” She mumbled, sinking back into the car cushions.

Finally, Angus growled out a few words. “Sometimes you are such a goddamn child, Gregg.”

“And you’ve had a stick up your ass since we left!” Gregg shook his head. “I don’t know what’s up with you. Is it because I fell? I wasn’t trying to. I’m sorry.”

Angus didn’t respond, and the car didn’t slow.

“ _Fine,_ ” Gregg spat. “Be that way.”

Soon enough, lights tore through the foggy glass windows, searing Mae’s eyelids.

“Civilization. Finally.” Bea snarked, although there was relief evident in her voice.

Angus’s door clicked open with a pop. “Good news, too. We’re about out of gas.”

And, sure enough, a small, dirty shop sat awkwardly on the land, sagging and bending from years of apparent use, accompanied by two muddied, but useable motorcycles sat chained up against a pole. Flickering with all its might, a broken neon sign hung forlornly over the dilapidated porch. 'Bikes For Rent’.

“Doesn’t look there’s anyone home,” Bea said.

“This is the first building we’ve seen in forever- I’m not leaving yet.” Gregg walked up to the door, pounding a few times upon it. Nothing in response but the old shop creaking with the wind.

Mae watched as her best friend’s eyes met hers, and then flicked over to where the bikes were loosely chained.

“No,” Angus said.

“What other option do we have? Wait for who-knows-how-long for someone to come back to this dump? I’ll just leave some cash, and we can get out of here.”

“And how are we going to get back?”

Gregg gestured towards the road, already filing bills out of his wallet. “See that sign? That’s an exit onto I-76.”

Bea frowned. “That’s in Colorado.”

A huff. “Well, congrats- we’re in Colorado.”

Snorting, Mae traced a finger over the rusty bike chain. “So what are we gonna do? Drive to Denver on a stolen bike?”

Gregg brought out a pen from his pocket, snatching up a scrapped newspaper advertisement from the ground. “Not a bad idea. Except, I’d call this more… extended borrowing.”

“Found the keys,” Bea said.

Angus turned with a whirl to Bea. “Don’t tell me you’re okay with this?”

Bea continued walking by, tossing a set of keys to Mae. “Under the doormat.”

“Gregg, this is theft-“

“Just _listen_ , okay? I left the damn money, I’m leaving a pick-up address, the car is parked- what the hell more can I do? Nothing is _ever_ good enough for you, is it?” Gregg seethed, his knuckles white against his dark leather jacket. For the first time in her life, Mae understood why kids had labeled Gregg as a threat in the early years of high school- right now, he looked every inch the unstable punk the town’s stereotype’s made him out to be.

“Come on, Mae. You’re with me,” Gregg brushed past, shoving the hastily scribbled address under the faded and cracked door. Mae didn’t move, and instead watched as Bea’s expression morphed into solemn resignation as she stalked past.

“Mae, let’s go.” Gregg’s voice contained more harshness than Mae could ever remember hearing. She found herself tripping forward without even meaning to, sliding cautiously onto the seat of the gritty bike.

Across from the little store, the pitiful exit bled quickly into a highway, stretching for miles and miles. Its lights glittered brightly, the smell of cars and oil almost welcoming in their uniqueness.

“Crimes?” She whispered, less of a question than a statement.

Gregg snapped his helmet over his eyes.

“ _Crimes_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm losing steam, folks. _But_ I got so many sweet reviews??? And anon messages??? And I'm SO SO _SO_ thrilled you guys have stuck with me.
> 
> Huge thanks to my beta, [hortonhearsawhomst](http://hortonhearsawhomst.tumblr.com/), who was such an amazing help throughout the entire process. I can definitely say this chapter would've taken months longer without them!
> 
> So, yeah there's relationship issues! Our first semblance of Plot™! and we see it a lil in canon, too! both parties are at fault here but I p r o m i s e it'll get resolved soon, so stick around!
> 
> As always, reviews are what motivate me to write more. I love hearing from you guys, no matter how small or insgnificant it seems to you.
> 
> See ya next chapter!


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